2021 Lucid Air electric sedan revealed, boasts 517 miles of range

KUALA LUMPUR: With plans to go head-to-head with Tesla and the other players in the automotive arena, Lucid Motors, at last, pulled the wraps off the production version of its first model, all-electric Air sedan. The fledgling automaker announced the concept EV way back in 2016, and over the past few months, it teased the model several times and leaked the important information gradually.

The all-electric Lucid Air was supposed to be previewed at the New York Auto Show earlier this year but got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the company unveiled the sedan through a virtual event that happened at Silicon Valley headquarters.

"With the Lucid Air, we have created a halo car for the entire industry, one which shows the advancements that are possible by pushing the boundaries of EV technology and performance to new levels," said Lucid CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson.

Talking about the design, not much has changed in comparison to the concept. It features sleek yet straightforward lines that made it a striking luxury sedan appearing small from the outside but feels big inside. The automaker followed a California-inspired design philosophy that runs throughout the entire vehicle.

Two of the four variants of Lucid Air - flagship Dream Edition and Grand Touring model will enter into production this year at the brand's new factory in Casa Grande, Arizona. For the Dream Edition, customers need to shell out $169,000 (RM 703,696), while the latter is priced at $139,000 (RM 578,779). Deliveries of these trims are expected to begin in spring 2021. The other two variants - a Touring model and a base model are likely to roll out at the end of 2021 and 2022, respectively. 

All trims will offer different performance levels via dual-motor, all-wheel-drive architecture. With 1,080 horsepower, the Air Dream Edition can run from zero to 100 kmph in just 2.5 seconds and has 465 miles of driving range. Meanwhile, the Grand Touring boasts 800 horsepower and can hit the same acceleration in 3 seconds, though it holds the highest range of 517 miles. It beats the Tesla Model S when it comes to acceleration and range.

Inside, there is a massive 34-inch curved display divided into two sections: one for the infotainment and another for the gauge cluster. Moreover, there is a lower, centrally mounted display for controlling the car's functions. The sedan also has some physical buttons and rollers for steering wheel functions, climate controls, and volume control. The advanced suite of driver-assistance includes 32 sensors and wrapping in vision, ultrasonic, radar, and lidar functions.

Reservations of the model are now open for customers in the US and Canada, and also in select countries of Europe and the Middle East. But, the automaker has not yet revealed any plans to enter ASEAN markets.

Also read: Tesla working on Model 3 hatch-version, to rival VW ID 3